Celebs

Ever wish you could be an award-winning actress, celeb chef or pro athlete? Your biggest dreams are possible—just ask 19-year-old pop singer Kristina Lachaga, an anything-but-ordinary teen who’s setting off on her trip to the top.

With an amazing voice, awesome attitude and serious commitment to achieving her dream of becoming a pop star, Kristina is a rising talent we’ll be watching.

We caught up with Kristina to snag her story… plus, she’s spilling some awesome insight on how to make your dreams come true.

“Belieb” it or not…All it takes to get noticed is a lot of heart—really! When Kristina held up a big pink heart sign at one of Justin Bieber's first concerts on his My World Tour, he took notice and picked her out from a crowd of thousands for a special serenade of his hit “Baby.” Kristina was immediately dubbed “The Girl With the Big Pink Heart” by fellow fans. Little did they know that Kristina was a performer, too—and Justin’s recognition made her determined heart flutter even faster.

Practice makes perfect… Kristina first performed onstage at age three. At nine, she started to seriously study voice, acting and dance. Kristina was bullied for her dedication to her dream, but she didn’t let anyone stop her. And her practice paid off: Three years later she landed a role in a national Broadway tour and continues to book performances at concerts, tours and events. Keep an eye out for her coming to your city in 2014! Kristina’s also writing her own music and recording an EP. Her new single “Calendar” is being released for Valentine’s Day—CLICK HERE to listen to an exclusive preview.

Kristina opening for Liam Lis

Follow your heart…
Kristina wants every girl to dream big—and she’s sharing her tips for making them come true!

1. Listen to your heart. Be brave and go for your dreams. If you see an opportunity, grab it—you never know, something totally unexpected could lead you to something amazing.

2. Be genuine. Why blend in when you can stand out? It’s called being "YOU-nique" for a good reason—and as long as you believe in yourself and embrace your own custom blend of style and personality, your confidence will shine through.

3. Change negatives to positives. Instead of saying you're "nervous" when you have to perform on stage or present your science project in front of the class, say you're "excited.” It changes your whole attitude and reminds you that butterflies are actually a good thing—they mean you care about what you’re doing.

4. Soak up the experience. If you’re passionate about something, dive in and learn everything you can about it. Want to be a vet? Grab a job at a pet store, volunteer at a shelter or join a 4-H club. The more you know about your interests, the better you’ll be able to excel at them.

5. Do what you love on the daily. Want to be a chef? Teach your BFF how to cook that new recipe you created. Want to be a pro soccer player? Go for the gold by volunteering to coach younger players. By teaching and helping others, you'll learn so much more along the way. Plus, your passion for what you do will end up inspiring others—and what could be better than that?

Win! Snag #Heartbreaker swag...
Want to score an official #Heartbraker swag pack—plus a sparkly Swarovski Elements Necklace in Sterling Silver ($249, Kay Jewelers), just like Kristina's? To enter to win these inspiring prizes, just comment on this post and tell us what your dream is—and how Kristina's tips will help you achieve it. Kristina will pick one winner and announce it on March 3.

Update: Meet the winners and snag a free download!

Congratulations to our grand prize winner, Cupcakerz! Please send an email to giveaways@girlslife.com with your full name and mailing address. Put "Kristina Lachaga GP winner" in the subject line.

Plus, three runners up will each receive a #Heartbreaker Swag Pack: luvharrystyles, jmf1997, kelsea davis. Please send an email to giveaways@girlslife.com with your full name and mailing address. Put "Kristina Lachaga runner up" in the subject line.

+ CLICK HERE to snag a *FREE* download of Kristina's original song "Won't Wait Forever," available on 3/4/14 only.